Love
by Avalonian Witch
Summary: Love. How it toys with us, makes utter fools of us. Flogs, whips and spanks us. Listen to the voice of the unloved as she surges and retreats in the night. Why does she keep coming back for more?


Disclaimer: I don't own Kagome, Inuyasha or Inuyasha's selfish ability to think of only himself instead of others because he's an arrogant jerk!!!!!!!! _ Uh yeah.

AN: This is a story about Love…

Love

A One Shot

_Love…how it toys with us. _

Soon after Kouga had taken off Kagome was once again victim to Inuyasha's angered wails. She was letting the wolf demon distract her from their shard hunting mission. She should focus more on what was important. How could she be so stupid? So selfish?

The girl stood there and allowed the Inu-Hanyou to berate and belittle her. Miroku, Sango and Shippou all stood up for her in turn but she remained silent.

_Makes utter fools of us. _

His yelling came to an abrupt halt when several white soul collecting demons flew overhead. She could see Inuyasha's nose twitch and she took a step to the side. No sooner had she done so than he ran off – following the haunting creatures. Shippou was the only one who dared to speak up.

"I guess Kikyou is nearby…"

_Flogs whips and spanks us. _

She'd never followed him before. But something about that moment was different. She wanted to see for herself why she would never be good enough. Never be a whole person in his eyes because he only ever saw Kikyou. She could hear her heart beating away in her chest. It was like her soul was calling to the remnants left in the clay pot woman.

_Listen to the voices of the unloved as they surge and retreat in the night. _

She hid behind a tree as she watched Inuyasha take Kikyou into her arms. They murmured sweet nothings and shared fervrent kisses. It occurred to her that this would never happen between Inuyasha and herself. She wiped the tears away and ran. Her clothes caught on branches but she didn't care

_Whispered in empty rooms and lonely beds, the hunger of love unattained. _

She lay in her futon inside of Kaede's hut. She hadn't touched her dinner and hadn't said a word. She could feel the eyes of her companions burning a hole in her back. She pulled the blankets over her head and cried herself to sleep.

_Rushing through our fingers, unstoppable, fleeting, gone. _

Inuyasha couldn't understand the angry looks he received from the group when he returned. Or why Kagome hadn't prepared his dinner of Ramen for him as she usually did. Of course, he assured himself, he didn't care. Begrudgingly he leaned against the wall of the hut and sat watching while the others fell into a tense sleep.

_And yet, when we touch this love it burns us with its bright flame. _

She shot up in bed that night. Tears were still cascading down her cheeks and she realized se couldn't even escape them in her dreams. Despite his attempts to stay awake, Inuyasha had fallen asleep. Kagome stared at him and wondered if these were the only moments he would belong to her.

_It punishes and consumes._

She was too angry to spend another day with him – at least for a while. She gathered her things and gave a parting glance to the rest of their traveling group. Quietly she headed towards the Bone Eater's well. As time swept her away she wished it would take away the anguish too.

_And yet we must have it. _

Inuyasha's eyes flew open and he growled at the absence of Kagome's scent. He was already storming out of the hut to bring her back when Kikyou stepped in front of him. She always came for the same reasons. It was affection she sought and affection he gave. It was the least he could do after all the pain he had caused her. Even if he didn't love her. He couldn't stop from feeling like this was the price of his past mistakes.

_It rules us, uses, abuses, misuses. _

When Kikyou had gone he'd made his way back to Kagome. He always made his way back to Kagome. More and more now, when he came back to her, he could smell the tears. It killed him – but what could he do? He owed his life to the woman he had once loved. He could not turn her away.

_And yet _

Kagome starred at her reflection in the mirror. Maybe it knew why she did what she did and felt what she felt. It didn't matter what he did or she did. At the end of the day it was about what they felt.

When Inuyasha jumped through her window she met him with a smile and asked him to help her with her bag.

_Why do we always crawl back for more? _

She returned to the past because she loved him. He returned to the place where he could not love her back.

AN: Sometimes love can lead us to all the wrong places.


End file.
